Electrode-holder



H. A. CASEY.

ELECTRODE HOLDER APPLICATSON FILED JUNE 25. 1920.

Patented Dec.. 13, 1921.

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HERMAN AUGUST CASEY, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

EECTBODE-KOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

Application filed June 25, 1980- Serial No. 391,672.

To all whom 1' t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN AUGUST.

CAsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of'Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrode-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

.ThlS invention relates to the use of electricovens such as are used in the-manufacture of calcium carbid from coal and limestone. It has for its objects to provide means for insulatin from heat the electric conductors used 1n such ovens and to effect a saving in the'electrodes usedtherein which constantlyburn and'wear oil? when in use' and tozfacilitate the removal andreplace ment of the electrodes in such ovens when the same become worn and burned to such an extent that the electric current conductors become too much exposed to the heat generated by the operation of the oven and the electrodes requlre re lacing.

I attain these objects by t e mechanism illustrated, in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of two of the electrodes showingin section the electric current conductors and the cooling mechanism, and the means of holdin the mechanism in position and Fig. 2 is a slde view of Fig. 1.

Electrode blocks A andv B are usually graphite blocks four inches square by sixteen inches long. C and D are similar blocks four inches square and usually of lesser length. Electric current is supplied to electric current conductor E'fromwhich it passes throu h electric current conductors F and G to b ocks A, B, C and D which form oneof the electrodes or a portion of one of the electrodes in an electric oven. The current then passes from A and B to similarelectrodes separated from A and B by a shortspace thereby forming an electric arc and producing the heat for the oven. I

Electric current conductor E is fastened to and held in contact with electric current conductors F'and G by bolt H.

\Vater jackets I, J and K are ada ted to permit the continuous circulation 0 water through each of the water jackets to cool the adjacent parts and prevent the heat of the oven from melting or damaging the electric current conductors or other parts of the mechanism.

An electric oven may contain any number of electrodes or' pairs of electrodes such as are shown in Fig". 1. A similar number of electrode blocks such as A and B are contained in both upper and lower electrodes of an electric oven.

Bolt L holds blocks A, B, O and D, water jackets I, J and 'K and electric current conductors F and G removably in position. Bolt -L passes through the center of blocks C and D.

Electrodeblock A is held in position by projection 11 which is a part of jacket 1 and which fits into notch a in block A. Block B is similarl held in position by projection 7c and notc b. v 1

In electric ovens of ordinary construction electrode blocks similar in size to blocks A andB are used and no blocks such as C and D are used. The; blocks in the ordinary oven are bolted in position in the same manner as block C and extend to a position indicated by dotted line M, no projections 43 and k or notches aand b are used.

The electrode blocks in electric ovens particularly the blocks in,the upper electrode burn off and wear down very rapidly due to the intense heat and the presence of air and other combustible substances and the electrodes require constant re lacing.

With the ordinary ovens suc replacement requires the removal of bolts L and the electrode blocks which have become worn down and burned off until the water jackets and electric current conductors become exposed to too great heat fromthe oven and new blocks must be used.

To replace the electrode blocks in my invention 1t is merely necessar to loosen bolt L and remove blocks A an B insert new blocks and tighten bolt L. A very great saving in labor is thereby-accomplished.

The electrodes used in electric ovens are usually composed of graphite and are very expensive. By the use of my invention a great saving is made in the number of electrodes used because whether blocks 0 and D, such as are used b me, are used or not, it is necessary to rep ace the old electrodes when they are burned or worn down to the point indlcated by dotted line M. In

trode wasted would be in length the distance from dotted line M to the top of block 0 whereas by my invention the portion wasted is onl in length the distance from dotted line to the bottom of block C.

Also in my invention because a much larger ortion of the electrode may be used u be ore replacement is necessary, each el ectrode lasts much longer and it is not necessa to shut down and cool ofi' an entire oven an replace electrodes so fre uentl as would otherwise be necessary there y a ecting a very great saving.

I claim: v

1. In a mechanism of the kind described, a heat insulating block, an electrode and means for holdin the heat insulating block and the electro e removably in position such 'means being adapted to release the electrode upon loosening without releasing the other parts of the mechanism.

2. In a mechanism of the kind described, a heat insulating block, an electrode and a bolt adapted to hold the heat insulating block and the electrode. removably in position and adapted to release and permit the removal of the electrode upon the loosening of the bolt. v

3. In a mechanism of the kind described, a heat insulating block adapted to serve as a conductor of electricity from the electric current conductor to the electrode, an electrode and means for holding the heat insulating block and the electrode removably in position such means being adapted to release the electrode without releasing the heat insulating block.

HERMAN AUGUST CASEY. 

